On 21 May, the Italian Info Day of the POWER project was held at the operational headquarters of the amateur sports association Euro Mamme.
The meeting represented an important opportunity to publicly present the project and to foster dialogue among third sector organisations, communication professionals, institutional representatives, cultural operators and local stakeholders. The main objective of the Info Day was to raise awareness of the role of the media in promoting gender equality in sport, with particular attention to the need to overcome stereotypes, reductive narratives and forms of underrepresentation of women athletes.
During the event, the overall framework of the POWER project was presented. Among the key guests were Eloisa Casadei, project contact person for ISIDEM, who introduced the objectives of the initiative and the role of the Italian partner; Tommaso Usseglio, expert in sports project design and communication on behalf of the association Idea Europa; Francesca Ciaralli, expert in gender studies, communication and cultural project design, President of Tolfarte and Head of Management and Communication of MarteLive, one of the most important emerging arts festivals in Rome; David Di Cosmo, President of the 5th Municipality of Roma Capitale; and Desirèe De Stefano, representative of the National Library of Rome. The event was also joined online by Monica Zibiellini, President of the Provincial Committee of Rome of AICS, and Adriano Bartolucci Proietti, expert in communication and marketing, radio speaker, and activist for LGBT rights and gender equality.
Key insights from the event
Tommaso Usseglio highlighted the importance of increasing the media visibility of female athletes, particularly in sports traditionally perceived as “male-dominated”. Positive and diverse representation is essential to encourage equal participation among girls and boys from an early age. He also emphasised that the way sport is portrayed by the media can help children develop a healthier and more positive relationship with physical activity.
Francesca Ciaralli pointed out that gender inequality in the Italian media remains deeply rooted. This imbalance extends well beyond the world of sport, affecting many different areas of our everyday lives and influencing how women’s roles, achievements and expertise are perceived.
Monica Zibiellini stressed that perceptions of gender in sport are strongly shaped by media narratives. Significant and coordinated action is therefore needed to challenge stereotypes and make the sporting world more inclusive, representative and equitable.
Reflecting on the event, Eloisa Casadei, PhD, Project Manager, concluded:
“Today’s discussion confirmed how essential it is to work together to transform the way women’s sport is represented. The valuable contributions shared by our speakers provided new perspectives, practical insights and renewed motivation to continue building a fairer and more inclusive sporting environment.”
The discussion made it possible to connect the issue of women athletes’ representation with different yet complementary dimensions: sports communication, European project design, culture, local policies and the role of cultural institutions in promoting more inclusive narratives. In particular, the need emerged to strengthen the visibility of women in sport not only during major events, but also in everyday communication, editorial planning and public outreach content.
The Info Day concluded with a very positive outcome, confirming the local interest in the topics addressed by the POWER project and opening up new opportunities for cooperation among sports associations, cultural organisations, institutions and communication professionals. The event represented a significant first step towards strengthening the debate in Italy on gender equality in sport and on the responsibility of the media in building fairer, more realistic and inclusive narratives.
